Ghosts of The Past
by Lost Betwixt Worlds
Summary: An outing with school friends to a ghost town turns into a trip through time for Elizabeth Grant. If she wants to get back to her own time of 2011, she is going to have to learn some hard lessons like love & trust in the year 1860.
1. Chapter 1

**Ghosts Of The Past**

_**By: Lost Betwixt Worlds**_

_Disclaimer: The Young Riders copyright is owned by MGM Studios not me and no infringement of any kind is intended._

_**Summary: A weekend trip with school friends to the deserted town of SweetWater turns into a series of lessons for High School Junior Elizabeth Grant. Somehow transported to the year 1860, this girl from the 21st Century must learn to trust her heart and others if she is too ever return home.**_

_**Rated M for safety purposes (which translates to I'M PARANOID)**_

**Chapter 1: Into the Past**

_Elizabeth's POV_

_How in the hell did I get talked into this trip? Oh right Sammy guilted me with the whole 'we have to have equal girls to boys' plea._ I looked over to see the afore mentioned and noticed that she was once again flirting shamelessly with Ian Stark who was Captain of the McGregor High football team. As far as I was concerned the jerk was not anywhere near good enough for Sammy, but she's had this BIG crush on him since 7th grade and Tom Henry invited him to go 'ghost towning' with us.

Okay you are probably a little lost so let me 'illuminate' it all.

My name is Elizabeth Grant and I am 18 yrs old and a Junior at McGregor High. Just your average girl who enjoys history a little more than most of my peers.

Sammy is Samantha Hofstein and a Junior as well. A rather mousy little thing with a rather wicked right hook. If diplomacy isn't working in certain scenarios, the girl has no problem laying a beat down on the offending party.

Sammy and I have known each other since the 5th grade when my parents moved me from upstate New York to Nebraska just at the beginning of 5th grade. Sammy was assigned as my 'buddy' to help get me settled in a new school and we quickly became good friends. While I was no straight 'city girl', I wasn't a 'country girl' either.

With a little effort on both our parts, we were able to 'blend' the two together without losing either side.

Tom Henry (known him for almost 4 yrs and still have a hard time wrapping my brain around his last name), is a sweetheart of a guy and a gentleman to boot (not many of THOSE left). He plans on being an Archaeologist when he graduates from college. His parents are thrilled since it's their line of work as well.

The others in our group are Tina Longly who is Tom's girlfriend, Archer Reynolds, Francesca 'Frankie' Pendelmeir, Hannah McGoven, Mark Feldman and Lance Shilman.

Five couples total. The majority of us are Juniors, with the exception of Archer, Mark and Lance who are Seniors.

Lance is driving the mini van his father loaned us to go on this little 'trip'. I didn't really know the details, only that we were going to explore a Ghost Town that Lance and Tom had stumbled upon and we had decided to go before the weather turned too hot as summer was only a month and a half away. With the cooler weather we had less chance of getting heat stroke or running into rattlers (there's still a chance but much less with colder weather). We all knew the rules and each of us carried a pack with a minimum of 6 bottles of water, sunscreen, dried fruit & jerky (to last at best 4 days), compass, emergency blanket(like you find in the car emergency kits), first aid kit and a whistle( trust me it carries farther than a voice). Each of us also wore comfortable hiking boots, a wide brimmed hat and had a lightweight jacket (heavy enough to keep somewhat warm, but light enough to not be a burden).

Lance's voice echoed through the mini van as he announced our arrival.

"Well kids here we are, the once booming town of SweetWater."

I peered out the window and saw a series of buildings that were slowly giving in to the passage of time. Lance parked the van behind the church and next to the cemetery (pretty good sized one too, not to small but not overly large). We all go out and made our way to the church steps in the front.

" Alright guys this is our meeting place if we get separated. The keys to the van are under the fender in the hide-away compartment if there is an emergency and the CB radio is tuned to the emergency frequency if we have to use it. The handle name is Ghost Voyager and there is a map in the glove box with the coordinates . Remember to stay with your partner, watch your step and don't do anything stupid.

Any questions?" asked Tom.

"About how long has this place been vacant?" I asked

"Shortly after the Civil War ended so did SweetWater. The town was home to one of the first Pony Express Stations which started in April 1860 and closed down in October 1861. It wasn't a boom or bust town, and while there were gunfights, Indian raids and other things, SweetWater actually lost it's fight to an epidemic of small pox that swept through killing nearly everyone.

There was only a handful of survivors." stated Tom as though he had anticipated my question. Tom knew I was a history nerd and had asked me if I ever considered going into Archeology. My answer was NO since I wanted to be a History Teacher or work for a Natural History Museum.

"There are about 30 or so buildings as well as the graveyard. I suggest staying out of both the Ice House and Saw Mill for health safety as well as the fact that the door to the interior of the Ice House has no inside latch to allow for leaving easily should the door close and is slightly underground allowing the temperature to be colder. Add in that the thing hasn't been aired out in all these years so there is no telling what germs or spores may be in the air.

As for the Saw Mill, the place is falling apart worse than most since it's near a creek and the chances of rusted machinery choosing to fall as you are nearby and hurting you are just too high. Other than that, have fun and we'll meet back here at sunset." said Lance as he slung his pack over his shoulder and held is hand out to Frankie.

Everyone paired up... Lance/Frankie, Tom/Tina, Ian/Sammy, Mark/Hannah and Archer & me. It was just a tad awkward since we were the only two of the group who weren't actually dating each other and I had a feeling that Tom and Sammy had a hand in the pairings. They thought that we made a 'cute couple' and since we both enjoyed history it was only natural to be together.

The guy was nice, but I wasn't really ready to jump into dating someone who was a year ahead of me in school just for the sake of dating and I sure as heck was not going to date him just for the sake of having someone to jump into the sack with like most high school couples.

My heart had been hurt before and I wasn't so sure I was ready to let someone else in.

As the rest of the couples started to drift away Archer smiled at me and said "Looks like Tom and Sammy are trying to play cupid again."

"Yeah I have a feeling those two are not gonna give up until either we give in or you leave for College." I stated with a small smile.

"So where would you like to start partner?" asked Archer as he swung his pack to his back.

"How about the General Store and then the Saloon?" I suggested

"Planning on buying yourself some yard goods for a pretty new dress darlin?" asked Archer with a wink as he laid on his thick southern accent (did I mention the guy hailed from Texas?).

"No cowboy I was thinking of finding you some proper cowboy duds and then seeing if the Saloon Keeper would sell this gal a dirty whiskey or two." I deadpanned.

Archer held out his hand which I took and as we made our way to the General Store he stated " I never thought of you as drinking anything stronger than a sasparilla Liz."

"There's a lot of things you don't know Archer, but let's keep the whiskey between us shall we?" I asked

"Sure thing darlin. Wouldn't want you tarnishing that straight lace, good girl image before Senior year starts." he replied and I just smiled knowing that he would indeed keep my secret.

As we walked along the street I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I couldn't see anyone, but the feeling wasn't going away. If anything it was getting stronger.

We finally located the General Store and after Archer got the latch loose we stepped in and were greeted by a scene that seemed frozen in time. The entire place was covered in a thick layer of dust and there were cobwebs everywhere (I really dislike spiders). While most of the dry goods looked to have survived the passage of time, the food goods were moldy and covered in bugs. Some old flour sacks looked like they had either bust their seams or been invaded by mice and rats. Barrel upon barrel of apples, pickles and other unidentifiable foods were starting to leak their contents and yet strangely I swore I smelled FRESH apples as well as new leather, gunpowder and something else that I couldn't quiet put my finger on.

Archer spotted the gun cabinet and sauntered over to look. I spotted some books and walked over to gingerly look them over. As I picked up the first book I swore I heard a man's voice say "That book is two bits Missy." but when I swung around there was no one save Archer in the building with me.

Shrugging my shoulders I turned my attention back to the books and noticed that the one I held was a McGuffey Speller that dated to the early 1860's. Browsing through the titles I noticed that a good majority of the books were school books and that there were few that would be considered as 'pleasure reading' books. There was the occasional 'dime novel' and of course the Bible, but other than that mostly school books.

"Whatcha got there?" asked Archer.

"Son of a b****!" I screamed " Damn it Archer don't do things like that." I growled out as I turned to face him.

"Whoa Liz sorry I didn't mean to scare you." apologized Archer.

My heart was racing a mile a minute and felt as though it would jump straight out of my chest. My hand flew to my chest as I tried to steady myself and I could feel myself getting lightheaded.

"God Arch warn a girl next time you're near unless you WANT her to have heart failure." I muttered whilst sliding to the floor so I could put my head between my knees and fend off the fainting spell I knew would happen otherwise.

" Really I'm sorry Elizabeth , I called your name but you seemed a million miles away." stated Archer in a soft voice "Are you ok? You look a little pale." he asked as he knelt down next to me and fetched a bottle of water from my bag.

" Yeah just give me a few minutes to calm down." I told him softly "I have issues with people sneaking up on me and it tends to throw my system out of whack."

The dizziness was getting worse not better and I didn't want to ruin everyone's fun by insisting we head back to town.

I felt something cool touch the side of my face and as I looked up to see what it was the darkness swallowed me whole.

I woke up to a foul smell just under my nose and as I reached my hand up to brush it away I heard a man's voice giving orders.

"She's coming around Kid. Lou hand me some water." asked the unknown man.

I felt a cup of water press against my lips and drank it gratefully. A cool cloth was placed on my forehead and it actually helped chase away the dizziness.

A rustle of skirts was the next sound I heard just before a woman spoke and asked "Sam what in tar-nation is going on here."

"Not real sure Emma." replied the man "But seems this young lady may have had a fainting spell. Kid here caught her 'fore she cracked her head on the table there."

I opened my eyes and promptly wished I hadn't. There were people standing around me dressed in old west attire. As I tried to sit up I felt a gentle hand push me back down.

"Oh no you don't missy, Hickock's gone to fetch the Doc and until he gets here you need to stay still." replied the woman in a firm yet gentle tone.

"Sam? Emma? What seems to be the trouble?" asked an elderly gentleman as he knelt down in front of me taking the other man's spot.

"Little lady had a fainting spell Doc." replied an unknown male.

"Well now is that right young woman." asked Doc.

"I think so sir." I replied "To be honest I really don't remember much and my head is hurting something horrible."

"Well let's get you on over to my office and see if we can't figure out what's going on alright?" asked Doc in a gentle voice.

I tried to stand up, but quickly sat back down as the world started to tilt wildly.

"Here put your arms around my neck and I'll carry you." said a young man with shoulder length black hair and who looked as though he was Native American.

I wanted to protest and say I could walk, but something told me he would know it was a lie and so I did as he requested and was hoisted into his arms like I weighed nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

A few minutes later I found myself on an exam table with just me, Emma, Doc and Sam .

Emma had hustled everyone out the door including the young man who had carried me. As he walked out the door he glanced at me and I smiled shyly.

"Well now young lady can you tell us your name?" asked Doc as he put an old style stethoscope to my chest (who were these people and why did everything look so different?).

"Elizabeth Grant." I stated

"Well Elizabeth my name is Doc Harly, this here is Ms Emma Shannon and this gentleman is our Sheriff Sam Carter." stated the Doc.

"Where are you from Elizabeth?" asked Emma

"Harden's Grove about four hours east of here." I replied as Doc bustled around doing what doctors do.

I noticed the look that passed between Emma and Sam before Sam asked "Did your folks start up a new town?"

"You're joking right?" I asked "Harden's Grove has been around for the last fifty or so years."

"There is nothing four hours east of here except prairie Elizabeth." stated Sam.

"Ok you know what, the joke just got real old real fast." I stated as I started to get angry. "I don't know who you people are or where you all came from, but about thirty minutes ago there was no one save my friends and I in this town. So unless this is a practical joke set up by Sammy and Tom, I would appreciate if someone got my friends cause I'm not laughing."

I didn't miss the small nod that Sam sent the Doc and quickly turned to see him ready to inject me with something.

"What the HELL do you think you are doing?" I yelled as I jumped off the exam table only to find my legs wouldn't hold me up.

"It's just something to help you calm down." stated Doc

"Screw you old man. What kind of Doctor are you? You don't go around injecting people without knowing how it will affect them or finding out if they are allergic to something first." I yelled while trying to scramble away.

The office door opened revealing the young man who had carried me. "What's all the yelling?" he asked and I noticed that his friends were trying to see what was happening as well.

"This asshole is trying to inject me with something." I said pointing a finger at the Doc.

The young man took a few quick steps into the room, scooped me up and placed me back on the exam table. I promptly started to wiggle trying to get down and away from impending injection.

"Slow down there little lady, ain't no one doing anything." stated the young man looking me in the eye.

"Doc, Sam, Emma why don't you three step outside for a moment while I talk to …." he quirked his eyebrow at me silently asking my name.

"Elizabeth" I said

"Let me talk to Elizabeth and see if we can't avoid a problem here." he stated.

Doc put the needle down and followed Emma and Sam out the door closing it behind them.

"You're safe now ok? Now why don't you tell me what happen?" he asked gently.

"They asked me where I was from and I told them. I'm from Harden's Grove. Sam said there was no town named that anywhere near here." I stated trying to calm myself down.

"Sam's right. The nearest town to the east is Cold Creek." he stated.

"That's impossible." I stated " Cold Creek went bust in the late 1890's and Harden's Grove was built there about 50 or so years ago."

I suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Glancing around I noticed that everything was clean and tidy and the window showed a busy town street full of women and girls in long old fashioned dresses with bonnets and buggy's being pulled by horses.

"I'm almost afraid to ask this, but this IS SweetWater right?" I asked

"Yes."

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath and asked the million dollar question.

"What YEAR is this?"

"May 1860." he replied

I promptly passed out.

_**A/N: Ok so normally I am a Twilight Team Jasper type of girl, but after finding all three seasons of Young Riders on hulu I felt inspired to write this story.**_

_**Now I can't promise that all the chapters will be this long or that there will be a regular posting schedule (I do have some Twilight stories in progress at this time).**_

_**I will admit to not knowing where this is going (other than the basics) or how it will end since I write as the Muse dictates. But I hope it will be a heck of a ride.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Lost Betwixt Worlds**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Ghosts of The Past**

_**By: Lost Betwixt Worlds**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Young Riders, MGM does and no copyright infringement is intended._

_Rated: M (just for safety purposes)_

**Chapter 2: I am NOT wearing a corset!**

_Buck's pov_

Elizabeth asked me the year and as soon as I said May 1860 she passed out.

I grabbed her before she could topple backwards off the exam table and hurt herself and yelled for Doc Harly.

"Doc she's fainted again." I hollered.

Doc Harly hustled into the room and set about checking her breathing and such as I stood on the opposite side of her, stroked her hair, held her hand and pleaded with her to wake up.

"She's gonna be fine son." stated the Doc "Why don't you take her into the other room and lay her on the bed and then Emma can change her into a nightdress so she'll be more comfortable." he instructed.

I did as instructed and as soon as she was on the bed Emma was shooing me out the door so she could make Elizabeth more comfortable. Admittedly the clothes she was wearing looked uncomfortable to even me and her footwear was very odd. They looked like boots, but had the soft feel of moccasins and only came up to her ankle. Sturdy but strange.

Her clothing was odd as well. Denim britches that seemed a little too snug, a long sleeved blouse with the sleeves rolled up and a jacket made of some strange material. Then there was her pack which was equally as strange.

Other than that she seemed like a very beautiful young woman. Long chestnut hair that stopped just above her rear end and eyes the color of new leaves in the spring. Her complexion was tanned but not overly and her curves were all in the right places. She had a fire in her that I was sure would put even Cody and Hickok to shame and that's saying a lot.

As I joined my fellow riders I let my mind wander thinking about Elizabeth.

"What the heck happened in there Buck?" asked Ike in sign

"Not really sure Ike." I admitted "One minute she was calming down and the next thing I know she fainted. Although for some reason she asked me what year it was and kept insisting that Cold Creek was replaced by a town called Harden's Grove."

"Wonder where she's from?" mused Jimmy

"Wherever it is she obviously has a lot more freedom than most girls. Did you hear the language she was using?" commented Cody.

"She's got a mouth on her that's for sure." commented Lou.

I looked at Kid who was just staring at the street. "What's on your mind Kid?" I asked

"Something about all this ain't setting right Buck." said Kid

"When she was yellin' at Doc she said something about her and her friends being the only ones in town and until McClarin said something about a book bein' two bits, I never even saw her walk into the shop."

"Think she's a runaway?" I asked

"A runaway would try and blend in, not stand out and those clothes she was wearing stand out big time." stated Lou.

I looked back at the closed door leading to the resting rooms that Doc had set up and wondered if Elizabeth was in some sort of trouble. If she was maybe Emma and Teaspoon would let her stay at the station so we could keep an eye on her and help her if she needed it.

Emma chose that moment to walk through the door and before anyone had a chance to speak I asked "Is she going to be alright?"

"Doc thinks she'll be fine, but I'm going to stay here until she wakes up. You boys head on back to the station and get to your chores. If I'm not back by nightfall, there's cold fried chicken on the back of the cook-stove." replied Emma.

"Emma would you mind if I sat with her for awhile?" I asked knowing full well that the guys were going to take me to task later.

"That might be a good idea Buck seeing how she feels comfortable with you and something tells me that Sam and I are not going to have her full trust after what happened earlier." replied Emma as she laid her hand on my shoulder.

As the guys took off back to the station I wandered inside to sit near Elizabeth's bed and prayed to Man Above that she would return quickly from the land of darkness.

_Elizabeth's pov_

_'Wow whatever hit me sure did a number on me. I feel like I've been run over by a semi.' _ I thought

As I moved my head I realized that I was lying down and someone had placed a pillow under my head. Come to think of it, it felt like I was in a bed and that someone had removed my clothes and replaced them with a soft nightgown.

When I opened my eyes I saw the same young man I had dreamed of earlier and smiled.

"Welcome back, we were starting to get worried." he said softly as his hand gently moved a strand of hair from my face.

"Where am I?" I asked

"Back room of Doc Harly's place. You passed out again and we put you here to rest. Emma changed you into a nightdress so that you would be more comfortable." stated the young man

I blushed thinking he had seen me naked.

"Don't worry, Emma was the only one in here with you. Doc, Sam and I were all outside to be gentlemen."

That made me smile even more since I knew that most of the guys at school would jump at the chance of seeing a girl naked whether she was conscious or not.

"I don't even know your name." I rasped as my throat was dry.

As if sensing my discomfort, the young man poured me a glass of water from the bedside pitcher and held it to my lips. I greedily drank it all mindless of the fact that it wasn't even cold.

"My name is Buck and I work for Emma as a Pony Express Rider."

Those words stopped me cold.

"Did you say Pony Express Rider as in THE Pony Express?" I asked not wanting to trust what he said.

"The same." commented Buck "We've only been in operation for about a month now. The work is hard but steady and the pay is decent compared to some jobs that won't even hire a half-breed let alone pay them the same wages as the rest of the riders make. Throw in room, board and meals and you won't hear any complaints from any rider."

Buck seemed pleased with his job and I was happy for him.

"So when you said the year was 1860, you weren't lying or trying to pull the wool over my eyes?" I asked softly.

"Now why would I do something like that?" he asked

"It's a REALLY long and hard explanation and I'm not really sure how you'll take it." I said

The door opened at that moment revealing the people from earlier and I prayed that they would accept the BS I was about to give them since I was pretty sure they would lock me up and think me crazy otherwise.

"How are you feeling?" asked the lady

"Better thank you." I replied

"I'd like to apologize for my behavior and language earlier. But where I come from the doctor keeps files on all the patients he treats because some medicines can either make the illness worse or possibly kill them and he has to keep track of who can or can't have what." I said.

_If I remembered my history, doctors in the 1800's kept few to no records on the patients they treated unless there was an outbreak of some sort and even then their methods of treatment were close to useless. Even the common cold could kill you regardless of how healthy you were before you got sick. It didn't help that food preparation and storage were shoddy at best, so if normal sickness didn't kill you, food poisoning surely would._

_Even in small towns like Walnut Grove where, in most cases, the doctor brought you into the world and watched you grow up, the medicine available was still minimal at best._

_Wait, Buck said this was 1860. That meant that the Civil War was just getting started and Laura Ingalls Wilder hadn't even been born yet, let alone moved to Walnut Grove. Oh boy I was in a heap of trouble. According to Tom and Lance this town got hit with a smallpox epidemic just at the end of the Civil War. That meant that Buck and the others had about 5 yrs give or take before it happened._

_I glanced at the young man who had captured my interest and heart with just a smile. Could I keep my mouth shut and let history take it's course or would I screw up history by telling them what I KNEW would happen and risk them not believing me._

_My heart was screaming TELL THEM, while my head was saying 'You've got time so play it cool'._

I snapped back to the here and now when I felt Buck give my shoulder a gentle shake.

"You were a million miles away Elizabeth, Emma asked you a question." stated Buck.

"I'm sorry Emma could you repeat the question." I asked sheepishly.

"I asked if you had any kin in these parts that Sam could contact." replied Emma.

"No ma'am. No kin to speak of." I replied

"You running from a husband or orphanage?" asked Sam

"No sir. Just sort of traveling. My horse ran off in the night and took all my belongings I had. The clothes I was wearing were what I could scavenge and I'm sorry but I have no money to pay for your services Doc Harly." I said feeling guilty that I had to somewhat lie to these people but I really didn't think me saying _"No I just got caught in a time rift and my ass ended up here because my school friends and I were checking out your town which is a ghost town in the year 2011."_ would go over all that well.

_God forgives you for white lies? Right? If not my place in hell would be secured because I was gonna have to tell a heap of them while I was here._

I noticed the look that Buck gave Emma and that she looked at Sam and another older man before saying "Well if you aren't adverse to a bit of hard work, I could use some help out at the Express Station. You'd be helping me cook and wash and mend as well as some other chores and I can probably see about paying you around $1 a week." stated Emma

I got ready to protest about how much she was offering to pay me since I knew that $1 a week was considered a lot of money. More than some people saw in this time period. But a glance at Buck stilled my tongue.

"Thank you ma'am, I'll work hard I promise." I said instead.

"Well let's get you dressed and back to the Express Station shall we?" asked Emma in what I figured was a rhetorical tone.

As she hustled the men out of the room I set about looking for my clothes and stopped short when I heard Emma say "I wasn't real sure of your size, but I figured these would fit just fine until we could make you something else and seeing as you weren't wearing any foundations, I took the liberty of getting you some."

Turning back to the bed to face her I noticed that she had laid out a tan blouse with half sleeves and a long brown skirt that would go past my ankles. Emma had also laid out what looked like a white skirt and sleeveless blouse as well as what seemed to be black stockings.

I kept my mouth shut as I remembered that women wore a LOT of clothing in the 1800's and allowed her to help me get dressed.

Emma quickly discovered that I had no CLUE when it came to the clothing and accepted my excuse of "My Pa let me wear britches like my brothers." A lie, but the only one I could think of to fend off questions I couldn't really answer at this time.

The first piece Emma handed me was called a shift and could be worn inside or outside of the bloomers she had me put on (I chose to NOT tuck it in). As I finished tying the waistband Emma held up a stiff piece of material that had laces running up the back and hooks to hold the front together.

"Ummm Emma what is THAT?" I asked pointing to the thing in her hands.

Without missing a beat Emma stated "It's a corset and it helps not only your posture, but also your clothes to fit better."

I looked at her, then the corset and back at her and stated "No way, no day, no time,no how. FORGET it Emma. I am NOT wearing that thing. I got enough clothes on now to choke a horse."

Emma just laughed and tried to get me in it. I thought I had won until I put on the brown skirt and found it wouldn't fit properly. Knowing she had won, Emma just smirked as I had to strip down, put on the corset and then re-dress.

Once the corset was on ( the sleeveless top was a corset cover), the blouse and skirt fit better and I was thankful that Emma had suggested putting my stockings and shoes on before the rest of my clothes because the corset made it a tad difficult to bend over and lace those suckers up. Never again would I tease my mother or grandmother about their girdles.

"Are these things always this uncomfortable?" I asked as I squirmed trying to get used to the strangle sensation of the corset.

"You've really never worn one?" asked Emma

"NO and I swear I never will again." I stated "How in blazes do you stand it Emma?" I asked

"Just used to it I guess. Been wearing one all my life." stated Emma with a shrug.

"No wonder the women all looked so sour in pictures." I muttered under my breath.

Once Emma deemed me 'proper' and my hair was pulled back into a low pony tail, we stepped out of Doc Harly's Office. Emma handed me a straw bonnet that was held in place with a blue ribbon.

I looked up and caught Buck staring at me and felt my cheeks get red. As I approached the wagon we would ride in to go to the Express Station Buck grabbed me gently around the waist and lifted me into the back of the wagon. Sam helped Emma onto the wagon seat and Buck mounted his horse. As soon as Emma was seated Mr. Teaspoon flicked the reigns and the horses took off.

I didn't know how long I was going to be here or if I was going to be able to find my way home, but I did know that once Emma fixed the waist of this skirt and we let the blouse out I was NEVER putting this damn corset on again.

**A/N: **

**The Civil War or War Between The States started in late 1860 and ended in 1865.**

**The town of Walnut Grove did actually exist and the Ingalls family did live there for a short time (her book The Banks of Plum Creek).**

**Laura Elizabeth Ingalls (later she would add Wilder), was born February 7,1867 some 2 yrs after the end of the War although both her parents married during the war and Laura's older sister Mary was born in August the year the war ended.**

**Shifts, bloomers (also called pantlettes), petticoats and corset covers aka chemise were everyday wear for women and girls started wearing corsets at around 5 or 6 yrs old. The bloomers were without a crotch to avoid having to deal with so many layers of clothes, although in some places it was actually against the law for a woman to wear anything that resembled britches and their husbands or fathers could actually be fined money if they were caught (stupid law but it actually exists).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ghosts Of The Past**

_**By: Lost Betwixt Worlds**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Young Riders, MGM does & no copywrite infringement is intended & I am receiving no monetary compensation for this. My '**_**compensation****_' is writing something that people enjoy (or hopefully enjoy) reading._**

_**A/N: I discovered a mild error in the info given at the end of Chapter 2 in regards to Mary Amelia Ingalls-Mary was actually born in January 1865 not August- I apologize for this error since I TRY to make sure my history is straight BEFORE I open my big mouth, but sometimes errors occur.**_

_**Rating: This story is rated M to be on the safe side (which means I'm paranoid), but it's mostly because of language.**_

**Chapter 3: The simple lessons teach the best (part 1)**

_**Liz's POV**_

Time seemed to pass quickly at the Express Station and before I realized it an entire month had passed.

My mother and Grandmother both had taught me a little sewing, so my skills weren't all that bad. But given that my skills were based in 20th Century knowledge, I realized very quickly that I had a LOT to learn. Grandma had taught me hand-sewing, but as she was pretty old when my lessons started they were basic at best. Moms skills were all on the sewing machine and since Emma didn't even own one that was not even a skill I could use and when I saw one in the shop window I realized that even if Emma did own one I'd be up the proverbial creek since they weren't electric. Just looking at the thing made me wonder if the women didn't need a special degree just to operate the damn thing ( the thought of Teaspoon, Buck or even Hickock using one was enough to set a smile on my face and give me the giggles).

When I had first arrived at the Express Station I thought for sure that I'd be in the bunkhouse with the others. Emma set me straight real quick on that one saying that the boys slept in the bunkhouse, Mr. Teaspoon slept in the lean-to that was attached and we ladies would be in the house.

It was there that most of my 'lessons' took place. My sewing skills were practiced and polished in the comfort of my bedroom. My cooking was perfected in the kitchen and polished on the bunkhouse cook stove and I became a whiz at making bread (in large batches), cakes and pies.

It was the rare occasion that all the boys were at the station at the same time. I learned that there were other 'stations' set up at roughly 15 or 20 mile intervals with 'fresher stations' set up in between. The boys were supposed to 'refresh' their ponies at the between stations and once they got to the main station the mail pouch was passed to another rider and the delivering rider could either rest up for the night or head back to his 'home' station.

Buck,Kid,Lou,Cody,Ike and Hickock were known for being 'unconventional' and they took their job seriously. They watched each others back, covered for one another and made it clear that messing with anyone from the SweetWater Express Station was a good way to get the shit beat out of you. When it came to Emma and myself the boys were beyond protective and I noticed that Teaspoon was never far away and that the Sheriff checked on us regularly. If we HAD to go to town then at least two of the boys were to be with us.

A recent Founder's Day picnic found all the boys home at one time and getting an unexpected day off thanks in part to some recent Indian troubles.

Using my recently polished sewing skills and a gift of yard goods from Emma, I made myself a simple dress that could be worn for either Church (which we HAD to attend) or special occasions like the picnic.

The skirt and blouse that I had worn my first day had been altered and Emma never pestered me about the corset which I highly detested. Of course I had discovered all on my own the value of wearing the blasted thing was not so much for making your clothes fit properly as it was for protection of sorts ( my first few days at the station found me experiencing back pain because of bad posture when I did chores without it on and when I put the corset back on it helped since I couldn't bend certain ways). Suffice to say I was NOT going to admit it out loud to anyone, but something told me that even without admitting it Emma knew.

That brought me to another problem...Buck.

Buck was a very quiet guy and it was hard to judge what he was thinking or feeling since he never really let anything show on his face.

Cody told me that being Indian he had to learn not to show certain emotion and since Buck was a half-breed he had learned to hide his emotions even better since most folks didn't 'cotton' to Indians and that being half-breed was only a step up from a pile a cow-patties ( when I looked at Cody in confusion he pointed to a pile of cow shit).

_Something I learned real quick was to watch my tongue and how I worded things. Most people in SweetWater didn't cuss and if a female was around the males (at least the ones who were gentlemen) made sure there was no 'foul or distressing' language used in their presence. The Express Riders were forbidden to use foul language of any sort. _

_The first few times I cussed and Emma heard me I got a lecture on being a lady. The next time she shoved a bar of Lye soap in my mouth. So I learned to chose my words very carefully. _

But back to my issue with Buck.

Whenever he was around, I would find him shooting glances my way and wherever I was at (unless it was inside of Emma's house), Buck would be nearby...ie if I was milking Bossie the cow, he would be either tending to the tack or grooming his horse or cleaning out a stall (regardless if that stall had JUST been cleaned). At first it was irritating, but after a few days I just sort of expected it.

What was worse though was when he was on a ride. I couldn't explain it if I tried really, but I worried about him. Granted being part Indian gave him an advantage when it came to riding and survival, but no matter what a part of me kept 'watch' for his safe return.

I found that sleep evaded me when he was gone overnight and long periods made me grouchy. After the first couple of times Emma wisely left me alone. Those nights would be passed sitting in the rocker near the fire doing needlework, patching something or downing copious amounts of tea.

When I knew he was safe in the bunkhouse, sleep came easily.

Now as I stepped out of the house and towards the waiting buggy I felt everyone's eyes on me, but no eyes other than Buck's seemed to actually feel as though they were setting me on fire.

As I raised my eyes to his a shiver raced down my spine and I knew that today he would be more of my shadow than of any other time.

A chorus of whistles brought me back to my senses and I felt my cheeks stain red with my blushing. Making sure the door was properly closed I shifted the picnic basket I was holding and made my way to the buggy. Buck met me at the bottom of the stairs (of which there were only 6) and took the basket from me with a look that clearly said 'No arguments woman'. As we reached the buggy he placed the basket under the seat and then helped me up to the seat and I noticed that he held onto my hand a little longer than normal.

Once I was seated, Buck and the others got on their horses and with a flick of the reigns we were off to town. It didn't escape my notice that Sam was riding on Emma's side while Buck kept pace on my side and Teaspoon and the boys were spread out behind us.

The town was alive with activity and there seemed to be more people than usual.

"These sort of gatherings always bring the townsfolk together and even those who don't normally come to town regular or generally don't bring their families to town tend to show up." stated Emma with a good natured laugh.

"Course we get the occasional troublemaker, but with town events that's generally slim to none." stated Sam

Emma found a place to park the buggy near the Livery Stable and it brought back memories of my dad trying to find a parking spot whenever we went to the State Fair.

Following Emma's lead I held my head high as we made our way to a shaded spot near the Church that doubled as the Schoolhouse. Children rushed by chasing each other while adults watched out of the corner of their eye knowing that the children were safe from harm with so many grown-ups around. I knew that back in my time this sort of thing was rare since most parents watched their kids like hawks and most of the kids would have their noses too far buried in their I-pods or gameboys to play games of hop-scotch, tag and so forth.

It made me a little sad as I realized how much of ourselves we had lost with the gain of technology. What was supposed to make our lives better had only really succeeded in allowing us to become isolated from those around us.

As Emma shook out the quilts she kept for occasions such as these, a call went out for entries in the three-legged race. The boys all went to sign up and I noticed that most of the women folk kept on with whatever they were doing when the call went out, while the men and children all rushed to sign up. It dawned on me that with our skirts being so long, there was a better chance of getting hurt. There were other activities for we women though and after insuring that Emma didn't need my help I picked up the pie I had baked and headed for the judging booth to enter it.

_**Buck's POV**_

The past month had flown by so quickly that if one had not paid attention it would have caught them off guard. Elizabeth's first few days at the station were rocky, but it didn't escape notice that despite not wanting to be here she was giving her best effort.

On arrival she believed that she would be staying in the bunkhouse and had to be quickly set straight (it was hard enough on us guys with Lou being there even though it was sometime before we even KNEW he was actually a she, but Elizabeth being in the bunkhouse was asking far to much). Emma explained that she would stay in the house with her and help around the place with chores. Suffice to say we were all expecting to have to show her how to do things or give her a hand, but Elizabeth surprised us all by jumping in to help and asking only the most basic of questions.

I found myself needing to be around her, to know that she was safe and it set me a little on edge when I had to be away from the station overnight or extended periods. Ike confided that Elizabeth was in no better shape while I was gone and that when I was away for extended periods everyone felt as though they were long tail cats in a room full of rocking chairs.

It seemed that no one was sure why this was happening and I was hesitant to discuss it with either Teaspoon or Emma since I didn't want to give the wrong impression or have anyone jump to conclusions. I thought about trying to get Elizabeth alone to discuss it, but lost my nerve each and every time. After all I barely knew the girl...no that wasn't the right term for her I realized as she exited the house in a simple sky blue gown with a modest square neck bodice and half-sleeves with the barest of lacy ruffle to them.

"Buck if'n you don't make your dang intentions known to her soon, I sure as heck will." whispered Jimmy as he, Cody and Kid all whistled in appreciation of the sight before us.

I shot Jimmy a filthy look as Ike pushed me from behind in her direction. Needing no other incentive I met her at the bottom of the steps (even though I wanted to escort her down them) and took the picnic basket she had from her. When she grasped the basket a little tighter I gave her a look that said 'don't argue' and felt her relax slightly as I took it and not only escorted her to the buggy but handed her into it. Sam had shown up while we were in our own little world and I noticed that he took a position up on Emma's side to escort us to town.

I caught Sam's eye as I mounted my horse and shook my head ever so slightly. There was no reason to alarm Elizabeth that this was not how we normally did things.

Problems with the local tribes were heating up and attacks were becoming more common place. It had caused a lull in Express deliveries and until some sort of agreement with the local tribes could be reached the SweetWater Express Station was down to emergency deliveries only. Of course we had not told Elizabeth ALL the details, just that there were some 'issues' so she wouldn't wonder why none of us were going on 'routes' as she called them.

As Emma flicked the reigns I took up a position on Elizabeth's side while the others spread out behind us.

Town was crowded and I saw the wonder dance in Elizabeth's eyes as she took it all in. As soon as we found a place to set up a call went out the three-legged race and the guys and I went to enter. Normally I would have never even thought of entering, but the people of SweetWater were a little more accepting since I was a Express Rider (it probably helped that we were expected to act a certain way and none of us wanted to ever see a look of hurt cross Emma's face because we had let her down).

After the race ended, we headed back to where we had left the women and I panicked slightly when I couldn't find Elizabeth.

"She's over at the judging booth." stated Emma as she tucked her arm around mine and pulled me towards a big crowd.

"You know it would probably do you both a lot of good if you told each other how you feel." stated Emma as she stared straight ahead "You two are alike in many ways. Not confessing your feeling ain't doin' either one of you any good and if you aren't careful you're gonna find it's too late to do anything proper about it."

"Emma I don't..."

"Now don't you go givin' me that speech about not knowing what I'm talking about Buck. Heaven knows the two of you try to act like you ain't got a care in the world, but it's the little things that give you both away." stated Emma as she suddenly stopped and turned me to face her.

"You go on a ride and that girl acts like she's walking barefoot in a cactus field. If you are gone overnight she don't rest easy till you are back safe and longer rides set her worrying something fierce and we end up with an endless supply of bread and pies." stated Emma as she put one hand on her hip and poked her finger in my chest.

It warmed my heart knowing that Elizabeth worried about me when I wasn't around and scared me at the same time. I had nothing really to offer her other than my heart.

"Emma I have nothing, people won't accept a union between us if for no other reason than the fact that I'm a half-breed. Her life would be one of being constantly on the move if I returned to my people and we didn't get sent to a Reservation. Even then she would have to endure the cruel words of her own kind and mine." I remembered all the things my own mother had gone through and I couldn't ask Elizabeth, who had obviously been raised by a good family, to make that type of sacrifice.

"Buck I've seen that look before on you boys and I'm gonna tell you now. Unless you tell her straight and true, you will never know. Elizabeth's got a good head on her shoulders and I got a feelin her folks raised her to follow her heart. Besides she's a headstrong gal and don't take lip from anyone." stated Emma as she retucked her arm in mine and continued to the booth.

As we reached the judging booth, everyone was milling around eyeing all the pies and cakes that had been baked for the competition. As we got closer I noticed that Ike was nearby and flashed him a smile for keeping an eye on her. Elizabeth chose that moment to look up and spotted Emma and I and gave a little wave that was accompanied by a small smile, from behind her Ike signed that she was nervous about the judging when I quirked my eyebrow in her direction (obviously she had no clue he was there).

Just as the rest of the Riders joined us the Judges raised their heads and moved towards the table where the pies were. Everyone ceased talking so as to hear the choice of winner. They started with 3rd place which went to the Widow Paulson and it didn't escape my notice that the smile on Elizabeth's face faltered just a little. When they announced the 2nd place winner it faltered a little more and I started thinking of things to do that would take her mind off the whole thing because I honestly hated seeing her sad.

Emma was near bout holding her breath and Sam was standing right behind her with his hands on her shoulders. People were starting to murmur since other than Elizabeth there were only three other entries for pies and Elizabeth was the youngest out of them all.

As Elizabeth made to leave the table the Judges words stopped her cold and put the brightest smile to ever grace the earth on her face.

**JUDGES ANNOUNCEMENT**

_Ladies we found ourselves having to make a very difficult choice this year as each and every single pie was so very good and we know that you ladies have worked so very hard._

_It is truly a delight when a new community member joins us and shows off the skills she has acquired. Young Elizabeth joined our town only a month ago and we have all watched her turn into a most becoming young woman and it would seem that her beauty is matched not only by her wit but also her baking skills to which I'm certain Ms. Shannon and the Express Riders are privy too on a regular basis._

_So it is with great honor that we award 1st Place, the Blue Ribbon and $5 cash to Ms. Elizabeth Grant of the SweetWater Express Station for her Huckleberry Cream Pie._

A chorus of cheers went through the crowd as everyone clapped. It was easy to see that none of the ladies present resented Elizabeth for winning the coveted prize as they all praised her for a job well done and the Widow commented that any young man who took her to wed would be getting a prize of a young woman who was so very modest about her most amazing baking skills.

I had to stop and think for a moment where she would have acquired Huckleberries from since they were just coming into season and then realized that was the reason I had caught her down by the creek before sun up the day before and the reason that she had a pail of milk set aside and threatened any hand that got near it.

Elizabeth had also hinted that there was a 'special surprise' awaiting us when we returned from Founder's Day for after dinner and I truly hoped that it would be a Huckleberry Cream Pie since I had never had one with cream before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ghosts of The Past**

_**By: Lost Betwixt Worlds**_

_Disclaimer: MGM holds the rights to Young Riders not me and no copywrite infringement is intended. I make no money from this and my only gain is from my enjoyment of writing & that someone might enjoy reading this._

_Rated: M for Mature simply because I'm a little paranoid (mostly language related but better safe than sorry right?)_

_A/N: A reader (whose name I can't recall) made mention regarding the time frame being off a bit in regards to the Civil War era. While the actual BATTLES did not start until 1861, the true problems began around the mid-1850's. By 1859-1860 the lines had been clearly drawn and minor skirmishes were taking place. Families were torn apart not only because of different beliefs or who thought who was right, but for fear of losing what some believed was the only way they could/would/should live their lives._

_I am sorry if I've caused any confusion. As I mentioned before I do try to get my facts straight before committing to them and in my house the Civil War era is heavily researched due to school lessons & Living History commitments._

**Chapter 4: The simple lessons teach the best (part 2)**

_**Liz's POV**_

As I stood at the table where all the pies and cakes were placed for judging, I couldn't help but feel out of place. For the life of me I couldn't understand how I had allowed Emma to talk me into making a pie for the Founder's Day baking contest.

Granted I was no slouch when it came to cooking or baking these days, but these women were so much older than I and had years of experience. In all honesty I was still just a kid and while Teaspoon and the boys had never complained about the things I made, it was more than likely done so as to not hurt my feelings (although in Cody's case that boy could probably eat a dozen undercooked cows and still think it was tasty).

As the Judges were conferring, we women were sort of milling around and the Widow Paulson kept shooing little fingers away as some of the younger children dared each other to see who could sneak a taste of the contest pies.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small hand creep towards the huckleberry pie I had worked so hard on. Before I could say anything to the little 'thief' a booming voice stopped him in his tracks and sent him scurrying away.

"Daniel Thomas Anderson you so much as stick a FINGER in that there pie and I'll give you a licking you won't soon forget boy and then I'll hand you over to your Pa." threatened a plump red haired woman as she strode towards little Daniel.

"I'm very sorry about my boy miss. He won't bother your pie again." stated the lady as she hurried after Daniel.

The Widow Paulson and I watched as Daniel and his friends scattered to the four winds and chuckled over their antics.

"It's nice to see that some things don't ever change." I muttered softly.

"The joys of raising boys my dear. They'll do near about anything to get a rise out of you and then swear they was just foolin'." chuckled the Widow.

"I take it you have boys?" I asked

"Had me a houseful of youngin's before I was near on twenty-six my dear and out of all ten only two were girls. I earned each and every strand of grey hair. Now my Henry and all but two are with our heavenly father. God rest their souls." stated the Widow softly as she made the sign of the cross.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I answered honestly.

While I had no clue how it felt to lose a child since I was too young to have one, I did remember how it felt to lose someone close. The pain and heartache a parent went through was probably ten times worse.

"Thank you my dear. They may be gone from this life, but as long as I keep them in my heart they will always be near." replied the Widow as she patted my arm and then quickly turned and said 'SKAT!' to a freckled face boy whose fingers were dangerously close to a pie.

The boy jumped like he'd gotten to close to a rattler and scurried away and I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight.

A murmur went through the crowd as the Judges broke from their little huddle and made their way to the table.

As I glanced up I spotted Emma, Buck and the boys making their way towards me.

Just the sight of Buck caused butterflies to start up in my stomach.

The Judges called for quiet as they began naming the winners.

The Widow Paulson received 3rd place and Mrs. Tiffly earned 2nd . Not wanting to stick around and hear who won the coveted 1st place, I slowly backed away from the table hoping that no one noticed.

As I turned to leave though the Judges words stopped me cold and I looked up to find the Widow, Emma, Sam, Buck and the rest of the boys smiling proudly.

_Judges Announcement_

_Ladies we found ourselves having to make a very difficult choice this year as each and every single pie was so very good and we know that you ladies have worked so very hard._

_It is truly a delight when a new community member joins us and shows off the skills she has acquired. Young Elizabeth joined our town only a month ago and we have all watched her turn into a most becoming young woman and it would seem that her beauty is matched not only by her wit, but also her baking skills to which I'm certain Ms. Shannon and the Express Riders are privy too on a regular basis._

_So it is with great honor that we award 1st Place, the Blue Ribbon and $5 cash to Ms. Elizabeth Grant of the SweetWater Express Station for her Huckleberry Cream Pie._

It took a minute to fully register that I had won 1st place and as everyone was clapping and cheering the Widow Paulson and other ladies were asking if I would share the recipe.

I promised them each that I would write it out and have it for them this coming Sunday after services.

"Elizabeth we are so proud of you." stated Emma as she gave me a hug.

"Thank you Emma. I didn't really think that I'd win, but I'm glad the Judges enjoyed it." I told her honestly.

"So does that mean we get to enjoy it now?" asked Cody as he eyed the pie with hunger.

"You and the others can enjoy the other five that are waiting back at the Station in the well house when we return for supper sir. I have something special planned for this one." I stated as I picked up the pie and scanned the crowd.

It took me a moment, but I finally spotted the little scalawag.

"Buck would you come with me please?" I asked as I headed in the direction of a group of small boys.

"Elizabeth what are you planning?" asked Buck as he walked beside me.

"You'll see." was all I said.

As we approached the boys they all stopped talking and looked at each other nervously. I was pretty sure they thought that they were going to get yelled at for trying to get a taste of the pie earlier.

"Hello Daniel." I said sweetly.

"Ma'am." he squeaked out

I spotted his mother walking towards us quickly and waited a few moments so that she could hear what I had to say.

"Has my boy been botherin' your pie again miss ?" asked Mrs. Anderson as she gave her son a withering look and he shifted from foot to foot nervously.

" Not at all Mrs. Anderson." I stated pleasantly "I was actually wondering if Daniel and his friends could be of some help?"

That got their attention and I saw Buck's face light up when he realized what I was planning.

"You need our help?" asked Daniel.

"Yes I do. You see Daniel I have a bit of a problem. I made a good number of these Huckleberry creme Pies and I would hate to have this particular pie go to waste due to everyone being so full." I stated sweetly as I gave Buck a wink and leaned down slightly with the pie in front of me.

The boys were all eyeing the prize.

"I thought that perhaps you and your friends could help me out by taking this pie off my hands and enjoying it. Other wise I'm afraid it would simply go to waste and that would be a real shame since huckleberries aren't in full bloom just yet."

The boys all looked at each other before one whispered " No foolin ?"

"No foolin." I stated as I placed the pie in Daniel's hands.

"Now you boys make sure you share with each other and don't go getting berry stains on your good clothes since I'm sure your Ma's would be upset about that." I stated as I straightened up and turned to leave.

"Ma?" asked Daniel

"Well now I ain't got a word to say about that since the lady done gave you the pie instead of you pinching it. Just make sure you're careful and share." replied his Ma.

I smiled at Mrs. Anderson and the boys before linking arms with Buck and heading back to our group.

"Gee whiz thank you Ms. Grant." hollered the boys as they took off to share their gift.

"You're welcome boys. Enjoy." I called after them.

"I don't think those boys were expecting to gain such a treat after the way they were all acting earlier." stated Buck as he walked beside me.

"May I ask why you did it?"

"Something the Widow Paulson said reminded me that sometimes it's the little things in life that count the most and in some cases bring the most happiness." I told him

It was true. When the Widow had said that boys would do near to anything to get a rise out of you and then claim to just be foolin', I was reminded that children everywhere and in any century pushed their parents buttons until the proper limits were set.

Attending school (no matter how much we hated doing it) showed us that sometimes you just HAVE to do certain things, and when a child 'acted out' it was because they were trying to see just where the proverbial _line in the sand_ was.

It was and is all a part of growing up.

My heart clenched when I realized that Daniel and his friends as well as the rest of the people in and around SweetWater might never fully realize how lucky they were or how precious life was because of the epidemic that loomed just over the horizon.

The wonderful man walking beside me might never get the chance to further his life.

I stopped suddenly with the realization that I was falling in love with Buck and that in just a year or less the bitch called _Fate_ would steal him away. My stomach clenched with fear and I thought I was going to be ill.

Buck called my name snapping me back to the present. As I looked at his face I realized I could never let him know he had stolen my heart.

"Elizabeth are you ok sweetheart?" asked Buck softly.

"I... I can't...I'm sorry I need to be alone right now." I stuttered in a broken hoarse voice as I ran away from him and fled for the safety of the Church. Tears filled my eyes and I prayed that they wouldn't fall until I was hidden from view.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ghosts of the Past**

_**By : Lost Betwixt Worlds**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own the Young Riders Series. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**A/N: Well my dears, I invested in a program that should help me get chapters out faster. Perhaps this will help me to speed the stories along. It's a speech recognition program, so we'll see how it works (personally I have high hopes). Only time will tell.**_

**Chapter 5 : Choices of the Heart**

_Buck's POV_

Elizabeth seems so carefree and happy as she gave her prized pie to Daniel and his friends to eat. As we walked away she linked her arm through mine and I felt like the luckiest man in the world.

It didn't bother me that she was quiet, that was just Elizabeth's way. All of us had discovered in the time that Elizabeth had been with us that it was never necessary to keep the constant flow of conversation going. Like Emma, Elizabeth seemed to know when words were unnecessary and that if we needed to talk about something she was willing to listen.

Because most of us went out as single riders when we did a run, the need for conversation was never a high priority. I had never really missed having someone to talk to while on a run, but since Elizabeth had come into my life I found the need to hear her voice on a constant basis and the nights spent on the open prairie were long and lonely without her presence.

The only thing that kept me from completely losing it while on a run, was knowing that she was safe at the station with Emma, Teaspoon and the rest of the riders. As Sam was sweet on Emma, he too was often at the station on a regular basis. While being the sheriff brought its own set of problems, only those who did not actually live in or near town tended to cause problems. Sam was a quick draw but he did tend to give people a chance. Only someone with a death wish or thinking they had something to prove were the ones who tried to draw on Sam. Lucky for them in most cases Sam aimed to disarm them not kill.

Cody and Hickok had thought it prudent at one time to give Elizabeth some shooting lessons. Emma had stated that there was no reason for her to learn to use a gun, while Ike made a bet with Kid and Lou that Elizabeth already knew how to use a gun. Suffice to say Cody received a well-deserved slice of humble pie that day, while Hickok learned to do the hot lead two step.

That was a bet that Ike won and Emma laughed so hard that she didn't bother to reprimand any of us for doing a bet (by all rights gambling in any form would've been grounds for dismissal. But since no money changed hands and it was all in fun, Emma let it slide).

I didn't think anything of Elizabeth's silence, until I felt her stiffen and stop walking. She looked to be 1,000,000 miles away and I watched as her smile was replaced with sadness.

"Elizabeth are you okay?" I asked softly. "Elizabeth?"

I called her name a number of times but she never seem to hear me. I watched as her breathing quickened and her eyes filled with tears. Trying to be as discreet as possible I looked around trying to see where Emma and the boys were. I was not sure if I had done something to upset Elizabeth and knew that Emma would be the best one for her to speak to (I don't claim to know the workings of a woman's mind and quite honestly prefer to keep it that way).

"I... I can't... I need to be alone!" Stated Elizabeth as she pulled her arm from mine, took a few steps away, turned and bolted for the church.

Her voice sounded so lost and I didn't know if I should follow her or let her be.

"Buck what in tarnation just happened?" asked Kid as he, Lou and Ike came strolling towards me. Ike was glancing between me and Elizabeth's retreating form and in sign asked me what had happened.

"I have no clue Ike. One moment she was smiling and laughing and the next thing I know she's upset and near tears." I really didn't have a clue as to what was going on with Elizabeth, but something told me it was highly unlikely I would get any answers out of her anytime soon.

_**Liz's POV**_

I realized that I may have hurt Buck's feelings by running away like I did, but I had to find a way to keep what was in my heart from showing on my face. Falling in love with Buck was not something that I had planned to do and knowing the fate that awaited the town of Sweet Water and its residents made it all that much harder to bury my feelings and not warn them all of what was to come.

There was no way to tell if warning anyone in the town would actually change its fate or cause a problem that could be worse than the fate that actually was planned for them.

Since I didn't know how this whole time travel thing worked, and there wasn't a Time Lord like Dr. Who around, I wasn't sure if changing the outcome would change time, causing a bigger mess and trapping me forever in this town. If I took a chance and told someone about the disease that would plague this town, would people who were never supposed to have been born or people that were supposed to be born weren't... Well you could see the dilemma I was facing.

I had no idea where I was actually headed at this point, but I knew that if I headed for the buggy, that I was likely to run into Emma. Returning to the station on my own was not an option since that meant that I would need to either take the buggy or a horse, and with the way the boys and Teaspoon had been acting lately, I knew that setting out on my own was not a good idea.

I wasn't ready to return to the blanket, so I headed for the one place I knew I could sit quietly and get my head together... I headed for the church.

Like most towns, Sweet Water's church was used during the week as the schoolhouse and was transformed on Sundays into a house of worship. Unlike most towns though the Rev. of this church resided in Sweet Water and did not travel to other churches or communities unless he was needed to fill in due to illness.

Lifting my skirts I made my way through the front doors, and headed for the front seat that sat directly in front of the stand that the preacher used on Sundays. Sitting down I folded my hands in prayer and then realized I had no clue how to begin. Talking to God was not something I did on a regular basis and before coming to Sweet Water, I had rarely attended church.

I could feel the tears starting to make their way down my face and I longed for Buck's arms.

"On a day such as this there are few who would find refuge in the church my child. What lies heavy in your heart?" came the quiet voice of the Rev. as he took a seat directly behind mine.

"I'm sorry Reverend, I didn't know where else to go, and it's getting harder for me to withhold all secrets from my friends. I just don't know what to do anymore." I said as I fished a handkerchief from my reticule and wiped at the tears.

"Sometimes secrets, even those kept with the best intentions, have a way of revealing themselves at the time of their own choosing.

Many times we may believe that we are helping and keeping those around us safe, when in truth, we are taking away their decisions and their chance to do what they think is right." replied the Reverend.

"Are you saying that I should reveal my secret and chance hurting my friends and those around me?" I asked softly.

"The choice is up to you my child, but you must remember this, sometimes we are put on a path that is not of our choosing so that what will be is not what has come to pass." He replied giving me a knowing look.

"But so many things would change, and I don't know if it would be for better or for worse." I said softly shaking my head.

"Do you love him?" asked the Reverend softly

"With all my heart." I stated honestly knowing that it was the truth.

"You were sent here for a reason my child, and the fate of your heart and those who live in this town is solely in your hands." replied the Reverend.

"I don't think I understand?" I said softly as I looked at his face and wondered just what this man knew.

"Everything is in your hands Elizabeth, but you would do well to remember that someone once said 'the heart won't lie'. I think we both know she was telling the truth." He said softly as he rose to leave.

"God go with you child."

I stared at the Reverend's retreating form in total shock. The man had just quoted a line from a song by Reba McEntire and Vince Gill and as far as I knew there was no one in this town who knew I was from the 20th century.

How did this man, who supposed to be a man of the cloth, know about 20th century music? Two and two were not adding up to make four and I think it was high time I got some damn answers.

It took me a moment to realize that he was right, the heart doesn't lie when it comes to how you feel and I was completely in love with Buck. I would have to take my chances on being trapped here in this town in the mid-1800s, but it was a chance I was willing to take if I got to stay with Buck.

I'd come to think of everyone who worked at the Pony Express as family and I would be damned if anyone was going to hurt my family. This town was facing a disease of epic proportion that would wipe it off the face of the map and the only way to make sure that everyone was safe, was to make sure that they were kept healthy. If that meant pissing off an awful lot of people, particularly the Doctor, then I was just the girl for the job.

I knew from history books that Hickok and Cody would survive, although what I had witnessed and what was listed in the history books seem to be two totally different things (but then again it seems school history books are never totally truthful). Little to no mention had ever been made of either of them working for the Pony Express, but then again the truth behind the Pony Express had apparently been lost to the dust of time.

"Dammit where's a mind reader when you need one!" I growled out lowly as I headed for the doors determined to hunt down the good man of the cloth, and get answers that were long overdue.

I jerked open the doors without looking to see what I was actually doing, and in my rush to go out, ran smack into Buck.

I felt myself falling backwards and then just as quickly felt his arm snake around my waist and pull me so that I was flush to his chest.

"But what are you doing here?" I asked in confusion.

"I ran into the Pastor, he said that you were in here and needed to talk to me. Elizabeth I don't know what's going on, but if you don't confide in me I can't help you. I love you and it breaks my heart to see you hurting." stated Buck softly as he brushed a tear from the corner of my eye.

"What did you say?" I asked not sure I heard him correctly.

"I said I don't know what's..." he began.

"No, I got that part, it's the last part I'm not sure I heard correctly." I stated.

"I love you and it breaks my heart to see you hurting." he said again a little louder and much firmer.

"That's what I thought you said. I just had to make sure, because I love you too Buck!"

I pulled back a little and looked into his eyes and realized then that I didn't give a damn what happened to the timeline as long as I got to spend my life with Buck I would be happy.

Without saying anything further I stood on my tippy toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him for all I was worth.

It took a few minutes, more likely because I caught him off guard, but soon enough he was kissing me back and God forgive me, if this was a sin, then I would gladly go to hell.

"Elizabeth I have little to offer you and life would definitely be difficult for us. But I can't keep what I feel for you, hidden any longer. I love you so very much." stated Buck as he kissed my forehead softly.

"Buck I love you so very much, and have kept it to myself all this time, because I was afraid you couldn't or wouldn't return my feelings. Now I see I should've trusted you more, trusted the love that's developed between us, because the heart will never lie when it comes to love." I told him as I gazed into his eyes. "I'm not worried about what anybody else says or thinks, because quite frankly, it's none of their fucking business."

I giggled as Buck's eyes widened and realized he had never heard me cuss before.

"I guess I should warn you now, I have a very colorful vocabulary and where I come from, it's commonplace to use it regularly. I have always spoken my mind and the only reason I've held my tongue so far is because I thought it better to not piss off Emma or Teaspoon." I said softly.

"I guess this means I have a hellcat on my hands?" asked Buck in contemplation.

"Do you have an issue with that?" I asked.

"To be honest I don't. Being halfbreed comes with problems of its own, and the only reason I've kept my mouth shut, is because I prefer not to cause problems for Emma and Teaspoon. There are very few people who would hire a halfbreed and I enjoy my work as an Express Rider. The only thing I would have to ask is that you keep a check on your temper, I'd really prefer my woman not to be getting into fist fights." he stated with some humor.

"Oh I have a lot of practice of holding onto my tongue." I chuckled "wait a minute did you say your 'woman'? Are you making a claim on me?" I asked as I searched his face.

"That would be a yes Ms. Grant, and believe me when I say that I would love to claim you in more than one way right at the moment. But I'll remain a gentleman for the time being." He stated with a soft but firm kiss to my lips. "I would love nothing more than to make an honest woman out of you.** My** honest woman."

"I think the hearing must be going, because that sounded like a marriage proposal." I said in shock.

"It was." Stated Buck "Marry me Elizabeth, be my wife, be my woman. I want you in my life, to spend the rest of my life with you, to grow old with you, to have children with you and watch them grow. I know that we are both young, but I also know that you've taken my heart. Please say you'll marry that me." he said softly literally begging with his eyes.

I stared into the eyes of the young man who was half white half Indian, in the 1800s being halfbreed was looked down upon and many were given few too little rights. The white man was afraid of the Indian, and because of that fear stripped any and all Indians of what they held dear. Their beliefs, their language, their customs and their honor.

The Indian nations were rounded up and shoved onto reservations, refused access to proper medical attention, forced to learn things that contradicted what they knew or had learned in the past.

The reservation lands were lands that not even a white man wanted because there was little water and little game to be had. It was just another way that our people, the white people, had undermined not only a people with great heritage, but who had wandered these lands long before any other man.

Were I to marry Buck, there would be many who would challenge its validity. I realized though that the challenge would remain not only with the white men but also within the Indian nation. It was quite possible that Buck's own kind would not acknowledge our marriage.

I knew there was a solution, but I wasn't sure how well Buck would take to it.

"Yes Buck I'll marry you, but on one condition." I said.

"And that condition would be?" Queried Buck.

"That there is no question, to either the white authorities or the Indian nations, that we are man and wife. In simple terms, I want to be married to you by the white man's laws and the laws of your people." I stated in a firm voice.

Buck kissed me soundly and then let out a loud** "She Said Yes!"**

Apparently the guys had been outside the entire time because I suddenly heard Cody say "Pay up Hickok. Told you you didn't stand a chance."

I looked at Buck whose mouth had somewhat dropped open and mouthed "did you know about that bet?"

Buck shook his head no. So that meant Emma didn't know about the bet either.

Putting my finger to my lips I indicated that I wanted him to be silent and as quietly as I could slipped out the door to find that Cody's back was turned towards me. Kid, Lou and Ike all pulled their hats down to cover their faces so that Cody would not see the grins on their faces. As Hickok looked up to hand Cody his money, he spotted me and I put a finger to my lips telling him to be quiet.

Cody had no clue what was about to happen and to say that he jumped a foot would've been an understatement.

Leaning forward so that I was next to his ear I whispered _"Now Cody making a bet on which man gets the girl is like making a bet on when a girl loses her virginity and to whom. And I know you're far too much of a man to make a disgusting bet like that_."

Cody whipped around so fast that he lost his footing on the stairs and went tumbling to the bottom. Everyone started laughing and between giggles I stated "If I had known how much fun it would be to knock you on your ass, I would've done it a long time ago."

Buck came out and put his arms around my waist and stated "Emma is not gonna take real well to your new vocabulary."

"Well she's going to have to deal, because I'm tired of playing goody two shoes. I have a mouth and I have a temper and I don't plan on hiding them any longer. There are too many people in this town who try to run roughshod over Emma and diss you boys in the process and I'll be damned if I'm getting keep my mouth shut any longer."

A few of the townsfolk had stopped to stare as Cody tumbled down the stairs and a few of the women had open their mouths in shock when they heard the foul language coming from my mouth. A couple of the men chuckled and one of the women muttered "well I never..", To which I retorted "yeah and your corsets are so tight you probably never will either."

Instead of keeping her mouth shut like I thought, the woman hissed out "hussy." To which I retorted "takes one to know one."

I honestly thought she would say something to that, but was surprised when she simply flashed me a filthy look and walked away.

A couple of the men along with boys were having a good laugh, and I heard Lou muttered lowly "oh Lord".

Turning to Buck, I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then pulled him down the stairs. "We need to find Emma, Teaspoon and Sam and head back to the station. There are some things you all need to know and this is neither the time nor the place. I screwed a good deal of things up by not coming forward with the truth sooner, but I have a chance to correct things and I'll be damned if I don't take it."

Lou went to find the others while the rest of us headed for the buggy and horses. I didn't know how well anything I had to say was going to go over, but I prayed that everyone would hear me out.

If not, I could very possibly lose the people I had come to think of as family and the man I loved.

_**A/N : Well talk about an eye popper. Even I didn't see the marriage proposal coming people and I'm the damn writer.**_

_**Looks like things are taking an interesting turn, so we'll just have to see where this all heads to (I only hope it's not a train wreck at the bottom of the hill).**_

_**TTFN**_


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